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Taming the mean machine

TV Kim Jagtiani is taking her love of automobiles to a whole new level. Catch her travel auto show, Two for the Road

ExhilaratedExploring the country

If there’s one woman who trumps the notion that women are bad drivers and that bikes are for boys, it’s got to be model, dancer, TV host, Kim Jagtiani. Taking her love for automobiles to a whole new level, this petite auto buff is now co-hosting “Two for the Road”, a travel-auto show on NDTV Good Times.

In a telephonic interview, Kim informs: “The show revolves around me and my co-host Varun Mitra who travel around different landscapes, in vehicles unique to those terrains; showcasing our journey, experiences and discovery of distinct cultures while on the road.”

She adds: “The series will focus on vehicles across categories, right from the Audi A8 to a truck, and from the 500cc Thunderbird to a jet-ski. The last segment of the show will see us review a new automobile for the viewers.” The duo will be seen travelling to Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Agra, Aligarh, Pune, Hyderabad, Andaman, Kolkata, Darjeeling and many more cities.

Ask her why she took up an assignment that is rather far removed from the kind of shows she’s hosted before and Kim narrates: “When I was a little girl, I wasn’t like the other girls around me. I never took to Barbie dolls. In fact, for as long as I can remember, my best friend and I would always play video games, I would collect automobile magazines, watch shows like this on television and when I was making my foray into the industry, all I would dream of was which car to buy if I earned a particular sum of money. So when an opportunity to host ‘Two for the Road’ came knocking, I quite obviously seized it.”

Kim first rode a Bullet quite a few years ago but she says: “My experience riding a Harley Davidson is just unexplainable. It is such a powerful and heavy bike and a petite girl like me had to learn to ride it right. Initially, I was a little apprehensive but once I familiarised myself with the bike, there has been no stopping, literally,” adding with a laugh, “Now I’m looking forward to drive the ‘Horn OK Sound’ kind of truck that I’m always halting behind at any given traffic signal!”

Speaking of the research that is going into the hosting of a show of this nature, Kim says: “As we travel, we learn so much about a city and its modes of transport. We also keep visiting major automobile factories wherever we go.”

Ask her what it is that gives the show its edge and Kim responds: “It is a highly stylised show and the chemistry that Varun and I share is one of the USPs. Also, the fact that each of us goes on our own trips with our own mean machines and then reviews it and trade stories with each other, adds a lot of fun to the show.”

While the male folk would obviously take to a TV programme like this, Kim is quick to point out: “There are a lot of women bikers who take their love for automobiles very seriously. And for the other women that watch this show, I want them to be inspired to learn to ride, to get on a bike and to explore the country the way I have.”

From modelling to hosting music shows and even training in various forms of dance, the multi-faceted Kim also indulges in a lot of adventure sports. “I love travelling and I make sure I attempt something new each time. I just had my first paragliding experience a couple of days ago and I’m still exhilarated about it,” she wraps up.

“Two for the Road” which premiered on December 30 airs every Sunday at 10 p.m. on NDTV Good Times.